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exudation, and that a constant proportion exists between 

 the degree of this active turgesence and the amount of the 

 exudation, and the character of the changes it subsequently 

 undergoes. Now, of the cardinal elements of the inflamma- 

 tory process, the local arrest of nutrition and capillary 

 stasis cannot be directly affected by treatment. Nor when 

 the exudation occurred can any but palliative or expectant 

 measures be applied to the management of its changes. 

 But the active concentric determination of blood in the 

 arterial excitement can be essentially modified by the ab- 

 straction of several quarts of blood. By this special opera- 

 tion we lessen : 



The fulness of the vessels. 

 The number of red corpuscules. 

 The force of the heart's impulse. 

 The force of the arterial impulse. 

 The excitement of the nerve centres. 

 And by each and all of these influences we diminish the 

 vascular excitement connected with, an inflammation, and 

 thus lessen the amount of the resultant exudation, and 

 render its bigrophy more normal, its changes less degenera- 

 tive and destructive. 



The great object to be attained in blood-letting, where it 

 is imperatively necessary, is to balance the circulation. 



There is not a single case of any kind of disease in which 

 the indications or object of medical treatment is to reduce 

 the strength or lower the vital power of the animal's system. 

 What we aim at is to reduce the disproportionate vascular 

 excitement or congestion, and restore the balance of circu- 

 lation. 



The indications for abstraction of blood in all 

 diseases exists in the following states of the system : 

 High vigorous inflammation. 



Active congestion threatening inflammation or hem- 

 orrhage. 

 General plethora. 

 Violent spasms. 



Sudden passive congestion in horses of high condition. 

 The quantity, according to the age, size and condition 

 of the animal, may vary from two to five quarts. 



The safest instrument for this purpose is called a phleme. 

 The head of the patient is held up while the phleme is struck 

 with a short stick made for that purpose. The skin over 

 the jugular vein is then carefully pinned up with a suture. 



